Jongin pretty much collapsed under Soojung's embrace. His weight threw her off but she managed to find balance leaning on the couch's back. In her peripheral, she saw her Bear manager with a rueful smile before exiting the room. Soojung released a sigh of relief and hooked her chin on his shoulder, her arms wrapping tightly around his broad back. In response, Jongin pulled her closer and shuddered. Soojung could feel her shirt dampen with his tears and she didn't need to ask him what happened because everybody in Korea knew what happened. So she let him released his fears and worries, while she let hers bottled up. She stared at the chandelier hanging above them, until she sensed the burn building around her eyes. No, she told herself. Not right now. She has to be the strong one and lift the weight off of his shoulders. She had read some of the comments all over the web, and he received all of the loathing, gruesome lies. They hate them, but they hate him more.

Jongin shook more, and it broke Soojung's heart. To witness Jongin, whose best quality is his dependability, so fragile and shattered made Soojung seemed unreliable. She had grown accustomed to being consoled that  for a while, she was at a loss as to what to do. Later, she tried to alleviate his grief by running soothing circles on his back and whispering assurances that things will eventually become okay. Those people will tire of them, that they will heal, that they will be okay. He has his family, s, his friends and he has her. Everyone will hep you, so don't keep it to yourself. Don't try to take it all on your own, Jongin.

Jongin's shaking subsided and  histears eventually dried out.  Without lifting his head, he rubbed his puffy eyes with one of his hands before laughing humorlessly. His voice was hoarse and awful. "I'm uncool, right? Crying like a baby..."

She shook her head with a bitter smile. It didn't matter. Cool, not cool, it doesn't matter.

"I... to be honest, what they're saying, who they hate... I would rather it be me. I mean, it's me anyway." Another low rumble of laughter escaped him. "I don't think I could handle it, if they targeted you. It would hurt me ten times as much." 

"Don't say that, please." 

"It's true. I would take all the hate, I wouldn't mind it if it meant you're safe."

Soojung swallowed thickly and bit her lip. She, on the other hand, would mind it. She abhorred the idea of Jongin being boxed in, tormented by people who took glee in others' sorrows. Jongin was meant for greatness, meant to dance for himself and for others, meant to make others smile and laugh. Not this Jongin, downcast and damaged. This was not her Jongin.

"Because you're important to me, Soojung. Your happiness is very precious to me."

"And yours is just as important and precious to me, too." Soojung's voice tottered. The chandelier looked blurry with her tears. She was the one who leaned into him this time. "Please say no more, Jongin."

They clung to each other, whilst Soojung finally let the tears flow and Jongin placed tender kisses on the side of her face and neck, finding solace in each other's arms.